The DataMapper

The DataMapper is the tool to create a data mapping configuration. Data mapping configurations are used to extract data and transpose that data into a format that can be shared amongst different layouts and outputs created with the OL Connect Designer and Workflow.

The original data, located in a file or database outside of OL Connect, is called a data source.
The first step in the data extraction process is making settings for the input data (see Data source settings), including boundaries for each record inside the data sample. When you define the boundaries, you are actually defining a series of records inside your data sample file.
After configuring these settings you can start working on the logic to extract data from each of those records. You need to identify and extract data from each record. To achieve this, you will create a data mapping workflow, consisting of multiple steps (extractions, loops, conditions and more) (see Data mapping workflow and Extracting data).

When this process is complete, the result is a Data Model. This model contains the necessary information to add variable data to OL Connect Designer templates. (see The Data Model for more information). It has a generic format with an emphasis on content, free from any restrictions imposed by the file types or the origin of the data. This allows a same layout or output to be populated with data from different sources and formats without the need to modify it.